It’s great to have ambition, it’s admirable to work hard, but I think joy and peace are waiting as we exchange the “look how much I can do at once” mindset for a “I don’t have to do it all to be enough” mentality.

We each have different energy levels and bandwidth but many of us are trying to do too much and then wondering why we’re stressed out. When we over-commit, we set ourselves up for burnout.

When we set healthy boundaries we provide a sustainable model in which our families can thrive.

Be sure to join us this week for Stop! Hammock Time as we interview Dave and Ashley Willis of the Marriage Facebook Page. We’ll be talking about building stronger marriages as we introduce you to this dynamic and transparent couple.

P.S. Be sure to subscribe (by entering your email address in the box at the top right) in order to receive free music and weekly encouragement into your inbox.

My daughter and I attended a gymnastics meet at the local university. We were mesmerized as the athletes leaped over the vault, spun around the uneven bars, and soared through the air during their floor exercises.

The coach gave each gymnast a pep talk before their routine. I imagine that he reminded them to focus, breathe deep, and remember their training. They ended with a fist bump and a “You’ve got this.”

As I watched one of the athletes get ready for her event I noticed that her hands were shaking. She looked nervous and unsure of herself but she charged ahead when her time came to compete.

That’s when it hit me.

The gymnasts practice facing their fears and have learned to compete, in spite of feeling afraid.

Theydon’t let fear stop them from doing what they were made to do. They put in the time day after day to improve their skills but there is a still a strong element of risk, uncertainty, and fear as they approach each apparatus during a meet.

Even if they are confident in their abilities, they realize that something could go wrong, they could come up short, or their body might let them down. But they forge ahead anyway. They are committed to their goal. They are focused on what is before them and they are driven to do their best.

How many times do I avoid something because I over-analyze the risk factors or focus on my fears?

One day I decided to get serious about writing instead of it just being a hobby. I designed a new website and started penning a book.

Soon I was writing into all hours of the night. I felt invigorated. My husband commented on my pleasant demeanor (as one who scores high in the melancholy department, this newfound joy was a welcome change).

But soon, the work started to take over and I couldn’t seem to stop.

I used to criticize those who were workaholics—especially those in ministry. How could they neglect their families for the sake of their work? But about a year into my work-from-home job, I realized that I had become one of them.

My desire to “arrive” as a writer seemed just out of reach, so I kept trying harder and working longer. Since creative projects energize me, I had a difficult time stopping to tend to the needs of others. I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I was irritable to my family.

From this place of unrest, I asked God for direction. If this book writing was just to stoke my ego, I needed to know that. But if there was a greater purpose, I needed to know that too.

An excerpt from Isaiah 61:1b (NIV) came to mind “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” Then He impressed upon me…”and I am going to start with you.”

God wanted to address broken places in my heart and then use that message to do the same for others.

One of the broken places was my motivation for work…striving in order to be approved. I worked to earn things, like: love, acceptance, and worthiness.

For years I hustled to try and be holy instead of realizing that through Christ, I already was holy. Because of Jesus’s finished work on the cross and my belief in Him, I was already loved, accepted, and worthy—not because I worked hard but because He did the hardest work of all time (dying for my sins, so that I could be forgiven and restored to the Father).

welcome

Hi, I'm Katie (a Modern Martha, wife, and mom to five). I'm so glad you're here! Let's enjoy some cut-to-the-chase conversation over hot or iced tea, as we find grace in the unraveling of life (together). Let's exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom as we settle into our position as a doer and a daughter—created by a Loving Father.
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